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Health Information Management and Rehabilitation: Moving Toward an Adequate Ethical Framework for Telerehabilitation

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Telerehabilitation

Part of the book series: Health Informatics ((HI))

Abstract

With information and communications technology as its backbone, the electronic health information system has become an increasingly important component of telerehabilitation (TR) service delivery. The purpose of this chapter is to examine ethical responsibility for resolution of issues emerging within the intersection of the fields of rehabilitation and health information management (HIM). These issues involve areas of clinical competencies and user accessibility that might further inform the development of codes of ethics and other guidance for HIM and TR practice. Case studies anchor the narrative in actual problem-solving situations. Bioethics and practice documents are used to illustrate existing guidance. Conclusions and recommendations present interdisciplinary examples of research problems and best-practice initiatives, and also touch upon the ethical dilemma of the ethical vacuum when no human agent can be identified due to the complexity of the information environment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mervat Abdelhak, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Health Information Management, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences; Joan Rogers, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Occupational Therapy; and two exceptional doctoral students, Daihua Yu, Health Information Management, and Jamie Schutte, Rehabilitation Sciences and Technology Counseling for their invaluable advice and assistance. Any inaccuracies are solely the responsibility of the author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Science and Disorders, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 3600 Forbes Avenue, 5036 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA

    Katherine D. Seelman

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  1. Katherine D. Seelman
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Correspondence to Katherine D. Seelman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , UT Health Science Center, University of Tennessee, 920 Madison Avenue, Suite 518 6035, Memphis, 38163, Tennessee, USA

    Sajeesh Kumar

  2. , School of Health and Rehabilitation Scie, University of Pittsburgh, 4033 Forbes Tower, Atwood and Sennott Streets, Pittsburgh, 15217, USA

    Ellen R. Cohn

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Seelman, K.D. (2013). Health Information Management and Rehabilitation: Moving Toward an Adequate Ethical Framework for Telerehabilitation. In: Kumar, S., Cohn, E. (eds) Telerehabilitation. Health Informatics. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4198-3_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4198-3_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-4197-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-4198-3

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